For Immediate Release
After-Hours Pediatric Behavioral Health Center Opens at Upstate
Comprehensive post-5 p.m. services fill a long-standing care gap for Central New York families in crisis
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Sept. 9, 2026) — Upstate Medical University today announced the grand opening of the Kimberly and John Mezzalingua Pediatric Behavioral Health After Hours Center — a first-in-the-area program designed to provide critical after-hours support to children and families in crisis when the need is often highest and the options fewest.
The center, located on the second floor of the Nappi Wellness Institute, offers walk-in evaluations, therapy, medication management, short-term follow-up care, and telephone triage. This fills a significant need, as until now, the emergency department has too often been the only option for a Central New York family facing a mental health crisis with a child after 5 p.m.
“A child in crisis at seven in the evening should not have to wait until morning, and a family should not have to choose between an emergency room and nothing at all,” said Dr. Mantosh Dewan, president of Upstate Medical University. “This center closes that gap. By increasing access to timely pediatric mental health care, it helps children and families get the right support at the right time.”
The center is supported by a $5 million gift from Kimberly and John Mezzalingua. Along with the physical program space, this contribution is supporting the hiring and training of child psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and crisis intervention specialists, addressing the workforce shortage that has limited pediatric behavioral health capacity across the region.
“Demand for pediatric behavioral health services has grown faster than the workforce trained to meet it,” said Dr. Ron Saletsky, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Upstate. “This investment does two things at once – it opens the doors to a space that supports families and children in need, and it also builds the staff to keep them open.”
Kimberly Mezzalingua led the family’s work on the center after seeing how few options existed for Central New York families and studying a program already running in Rochester.
“Kids are dealing with more today than ever before, from anxiety and depression to the pressures of social media and a world that can feel overwhelming,” Kimberly Mezzalingua said. “We want to get to the root of the problem, give families help earlier, and build the kind of support system that keeps kids healthy over the long term. This center is where that work starts. Our hope is to learn from what we’re building here and continue finding better ways to support children and families across Central New York.”
The opening adds to Upstate’s network of pediatric and behavioral health resources, including Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital, the Nappi Wellness Institute, the Golisano Mental Health Pavilion, and the Upstate Cancer Center.
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About the Kimberly and John Mezzalingua Family Foundation: To date, Kim and John Mezzalingua have dedicated more than $58 million to institutions in education, children’s health, faith, and Central New York community life, and that number continues to grow. The Foundation was established in 2013 to organize that giving, which the family has sustained for more than 15 years.